Thursday, July 13, 2017

Schanzenviertel

For the past week or so.....during the Hamburg G-20 Summit and the riots.....the term "Schanzenviertel" or Schanzen-Quarter has been brought up. This is the neighborhood in the northeast part of Hamburg where the Rote Flora or the hub for the revolutionary center or anti-capitalist site is located.

Focus put up a long and thoughtful piece that looked at commentary from the neighbors of the 'quarter'. It's worth reading.

It's a divided opinion if you live in this neighborhood. Some have gotten use to the significance of the building or the politics involved. Some think there could be some long-term solution although it's not apparent how it'd work.

On the other side of this story, as Focus does point out....some folks in the city (perhaps outside of the quarter)....don't share much positive nature on the Rote Flora or it's hub of activity. The violence involved and destruction of property has convinced some that it's time to lay down some authority and possibly dismantle the building entirely. The suggestion of making it a kindergarten or tearing it down and making it a city park is hyped up now.

If the G-20 Summit had never occurred in Hamburg....none of this talk would advance far. But the scenes and video from the four-day period have set up a chain reaction of consequences. Some people are willing to go direct to the political folks and not allow some chatty-period of calm to occur and just forget about everything.

If the city did 'chase' the revolutionary folks out of the building and tear down the structure (my believed end-result)? The core group would just show up and attempt to take over the park and rebuild the structure or some tent situation for long-term occupation. The city would bring in 300 cops and fight through some weekend 'war' with a number of injuries. The legal system now....with the new German law of physical harm to cops? It'd be drawn into the situation and you might see 500-odd revolutionary types brought into a court and actually given real prison time (their lawyers would find little to offer in terms of appeals).

For the SPD Party and the Greens....I think their coalition is in trouble and likely to falter because of the months ahead. It wouldn't surprise me if a fresh election gets called before the five-year mark.

As for the Schanzenviertel? What the neighborhood really needs is 'good' neighbors....who aren't a pest or threat. Presently it's hard to see some ending which achieves that.

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This essay log is written by an American who offers wit and sarcasm on Germany, Germans, Germanology, German political figures, German TV, German beer, German food, German humor (or lack of), German habits, German weirdness, German news, German autos, German brilliance, German stupidity, German customs, German Nazis, German history, and German stubbornness.

I was one of those Americans who did over twenty years of military time....married a German....and eventually returned as a retiree.

I'm one of the few who stood under the German umbrella.....paid German taxes for some years.....German social security.....and felt the various pains like Germans.

So, this is my all-purpose commentary essay, designed for Americans mostly (and those Germans who accidentally discover it). I tend to put German culture into the spotlight of sarcasm, wit and humor. I'm simply pointing out the richness and craziness of life in Germany, which even some Germans can't understand.

The amusing thing is that I'm merely repeating the exercise that Mark Twain performed in 1880, when he published "A Tramp Abroad". Various comments were dished out on the Germans....which apparently did not trigger any wars, chaos, climate change, or ill feelings.